In a move that officially and for the first time in a European text depicts the maximum potential limits of the Greek continental shelf, with full influence of the mainland and the islands in maritime zones, Athens proceeded by submitting the Maritime Spatial Planning.
HDN Newsroom
Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis described the text as vital while government sources say that Greece closes outstanding issues of the past and defends national interests in practice, with the Foreign Ministry clarifying that Athens continues to pursue dialogue.
The Greek map records the agreements on the delimitation of Exclusive Economic Zones with Italy and Egypt, which emerged after bilateral negotiations, on the basis of the rules of the Law of the Sea and the principles of good neighbourliness. The Greek-Egyptian agreement intersects the illegal Turkish-Libyan memorandum, questioning the revisionist logic of the Blue Homeland.
In particular, with the submission of the Maritime Spatial Planning, the two EEZ agreements with Italy and Egypt are first reflected. In particular, the one with Egypt is an agreement based on the rules of International Law and the principles of good neighborliness and, above all, constitutes the strongest practical challenge to the illegal Turkish-Libyan memorandum.
Secondly, by recording the full impact of the continental shelf, the maximum potential limits of the Greek maritime space are essentially captured. The point from which Greece would start a possible negotiation on the delimitation of the continental shelf and the EEZ is essentially guaranteed.
The publication of the Charter comes in the wake of the developments with the investigations for the Greece-Cyprus-Israel electricity interconnection cable, with Athens having second thoughts, as it seemed that we might be reaching the limits of a crisis between Athens and Ankara.
Beyond that, Athens' move brings to the surface again the structural differences of the two sides regarding the major issue of the delimitation of maritime zones.
"The government is closing outstanding issues of the past. It defends national interests in practice and in a meaningful way, not with communication flares," government sources say, responding to opposition parties' criticism of the delay in submitting the relevant maps in previous years, resulting in our conviction by the European Court of Justice.
The government points out that the demarcation of the non-demarcated areas has been done on the basis of the principle of the middle line, according to the international law of the sea, which of course does not mean that this map constitutes the delimitation of the continental shelf and the EEZ. The map includes the two agreements with Italy and Egypt, but in the case of a new agreement, e.g. with Egypt or Turkey, The imprint will be differentiated. By definition, the delimitation of maritime zones has a different object from maritime spatial planning.
Turkey's reaction
Turkey reacted to this move by Greece, as expected. "Some of the areas defined in the 'Maritime Spatial Plan' submitted by Greece under EU legislation, violate Turkey's areas of maritime jurisdiction in both the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean. We reiterate that Greece's unilateral actions and claims will not have legal consequences for Turkey. We also remind you that unilateral actions in closed or semi-closed seas such as the Aegean and the Mediterranean must be avoided," the Turkish Foreign Ministry announced.
He stressed that "attempts at fait accompli, as in the past, will have no legal consequences for Turkey today or in the future", while noting that Turkey "will submit its own MSP to UNESCO and the competent bodies of the United Nations".
The statement of the Turkish Foreign Ministry concludes: "Turkey will submit its MSP to UNESCO and the competent bodies of the United Nations."
According to Turkey, the Greek islands do not have the right to an EEZ, while the Turkish continental shelf reaches the middle of the Aegean, as the delimitation is carried out on the basis of the continental coasts of the two states. Turkey's compass is the Turkish-Libyan memorandum, which ignores not only the Law of the Sea but also the legal agreements between the states of the Eastern Mediterranean.
It is noted that the exact definition of the conduct of the Greece-Turkey High Cooperation Council and the Mitsotakis-Erdogan meeting is still pending.
At present, the map does not reflect uses, i.e. what is allowed where with a view to sustainable development and environmental protection. This will happen in a second year with further specialization of activities such as:
- the designation of marine protected areas and the protection of underwater antiquities; the improvement of maritime transport, sustainable tourism development, the exploitation of energy resources from RES and hydrocarbons, the location of fish farms and cross-border infrastructure of common interest
Turkey's reaction, which referred to Greece's unilateral actions, and announced the submission of a corresponding Turkish charter to international organizations, came as no surprise to the Greek government.
Furthermore, the Greek government clarifies in all tones that the Maritime Spatial Planning and the map that accompanies it do not constitute an EEZ delimitation. However, the full influence of the mainland and the islands in maritime zones is captured. In the use of the middle line, it is measured by the islands and not by the mainland.
To the question of whether the MSP map depicts Greece's EEZ in the entire Greek territory (in the Ionian, Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated:
"The process of delimitation of maritime zones has a different object from maritime spatial planning, which concerns the process by which the competent authorities of the member states analyze and organize human activities in the above maritime areas in order to achieve ecological, economic and social objectives.
Therefore, the map that depicts the Greek Maritime Spatial Planning does not constitute an EEZ delimitation".
What does Marine Spatial Planning include?
The maritime areas depicted on the map include the Greek-Italian EEZ delimitation agreements of 1977 and 2020 and the Greek-Egyptian agreement of 2020. As far as non-demarcated areas are concerned, the median line that determines the external boundary of the Greek continental shelf is depicted, up to the conclusion of delimitation agreements with neighboring states, whose coasts are adjacent or adjacent to the Greek coasts.
Regarding the extension to 12 nautical milesOn the question whether it reflects an extension of the Greek coastal zone to 12 nautical miles (in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarifies that:
"The extension of territorial waters up to 12 nautical miles is an inalienable right of our country deriving from the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. It is a right for the exercise of which Greece reserves when and as it deems it to be in the national interest based on the rules deriving from International Law."
However, it is the first time that the outermost potential limits of the Greek continental shelf (i.e. full influence of the mainland and the islands in maritime zones) are reflected in an official EU regulatory text.
The maritime areas depicted on the map include the Greek-Italian EEZ delimitation agreements of 1977 and 2020 and the Greek-Egyptian agreement of 2020, while they coincide with the boundaries deriving from law 4001/2011.
What is the objective of Maritime Spatial Planning
? The aim of MSP is the organization of the maritime space, the smooth interaction of land and sea activities, with the aim of protecting the environment and sustainable development.
The MSP will take into account social, economic, energy and environmental parameters for activities such as:
- the protection of the marine environment from the effects of climate change -inter alia- through the designation of marine parks, - the preservation of our cultural heritage and especially of underwater antiquities,
- the improvement and protection of maritime transport, - the sustainable development of tourism, - the exploitation of the country's energy resources and especially the potential natural gas deposits and our offshore wind farms, - fish farming; - the strengthening of cross-border infrastructures of common interest with other Member States of the European Union and its immediate periphery.
It is worth noting that maritime spatial planning is divided into 4 spatial units in order to depict the administrative structure of the respective Regions.
This will be followed by the publication of the corresponding maritime spatial frameworks, as was the case with the Regional Spatial Frameworks (12 out of a total of 13 have already been published, while the 13th is also under way).
